Farm Animal Welfare

Broiler Footpad Dermatitis Advanced Prevention

Footpad dermatitis is one of the most prevalent welfare conditions in broiler production, driven by litter quality and management with effective prevention possible.

Key Facts

FPD affects 50-80% of commercial broilers to varying degrees of severity
Contact dermatitis from ammonia and wet litter causes painful ulceration of footpads
FPD scoring is used in EU welfare legislation at slaughter to assess flock welfare
Feed formulation affects faecal moisture and consequently litter wetness and FPD risk
Litter amendment products including aluminium sulphate reduce litter pH and ammonia

Welfare Considerations

Footpad dermatitis causes chronic pain that affects behaviour, activity and quality of life in broilers. High prevalence rates reflect systemic management failures rather than unavoidable production consequences. Litter management, feed formulation and stocking density control can dramatically reduce FPD prevalence.

What You Can Do

Choose certified chicken products with documented low FPD prevalence requirements
Advocate for mandatory FPD scoring and welfare improvement targets in broiler certification
Support research into feed formulation effects on litter quality and FPD prevention